For example, duplex horizontal head milling machines of the fixed-bed type are conventionally used for cutting opposite side faces of plates or the like.
With reference to FIG. 5 showing such a conventional machine, opposite side faces of workpiece 9a are cut simultaneously with milling cutters 16a, 16a mounted on milling heads 15a, 15a, respectively, by moving a saddle 29 upward or downward to an adjusted level, clamping the work 9a as placed on the saddle 29, further moving the milling heads 15a, 15a to adjust the distance therebetween in accordance with the size to which the work 9a is to be cut, and thereafter reciprocatingly moving the saddle 29.
However, to cut the workpiece 9a to the desired size, the workpiece 9a must be accurately placed on the saddle 29.
Accordingly, the workpiece 9a is positioned in place usually by securing the workpiece to a platelike table 31 formed with specified pin bores 30 on the saddle 29, inserting several pins 32 into some of the bores 30 in the table 31 as seen in FIG. 5, then clamping the work 9a with a jig 33 with two intersecting side faces of the work 9a in contact with the pins 32 and thereafter removing the pins 32 from the table 31.
Nevertheless, the conventional side face cutting machine has the major problem of being large-sized and therefore limited in the place where it is installable since the saddle 29 itself is adapted to reciprocate.
Additionally, a very cumbersome procedure is needed for positioning the saddle 29 and the milling heads 15a, 15a and also for positioning the workpiece 9a, consequently entailing the drawback that the cutting operation requires much time and is very inefficient.
It is further necessary to prepare many tables 31 of different sizes for use with workpieces 9a of varying sizes, while it is also very cumbersome to change one table for another.